Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett is examining position groups in advance of this week’s NFL draft. Today, he looks at quarterbacks.

On the roster: Matthew Stafford, Shaun Hill, Kellen Moore

Needs: Stafford is the Detroit Lions’ quarterback for the foreseeable future and should get a long-term contract extension sometime before the start of the season. Hill is entering the final year of his contract, but he’s firmly entrenched as the backup. The Lions could add a quarterback to compete with Moore for the No. 3 job or as a camp arm, but the coaches like Moore’s maturity and smarts. There’s no reason the Lions should spend a draft pick on a signal caller.

Draft scuttle: Smith is the pivotal player in the draft, at least from the Lions’ standpoint. He’s not a typical top-five talent, but he’s a quarterback, which means he gets a bump up draft boards. If he goes in the first four picks, that could push a desirable player down to the Lions. If he doesn’t go in the top 10, there’s no telling how far he drops. Barkley, Nassib and others could end up late in the first round, possibly with teams like Buffalo Bills or Jacksonville Jaguars trading up into the back half of the round to take them.

They might not get drafted, but a couple of QB prospects have interesting bloodlines. Vanderbilt’s Jordan Rodgers is the brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Nate Montana’s father, Joe, is a three-time Super Bowl MVP. Last year, five rookie quarterbacks started in Week 1. There might not be any this year.